1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a chassis of inductor, and more particularly to a chassis of surface mounted inductor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, the conventional inductor fails to sever as a surface mounted device (SMD) due to the pin-shaped terminals of the coil. A chassis having strips of stem is required to transform the conventional inductor into a surface mounted device. As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional chassis 20 includes an upper surface and a flat bottom surface (not shown). The upper surface further includes a cavity 21 and two U-shaped metal parts 30 formed on the periphery of the cavity. Each of the metal parts 30 is embedded into the periphery of the chassis 20 and provides a lower surface to electrically contact with the board.
Still referring to FIG. 1, to transform the conventional inductor into a surface mounted inductor 70, the core 11 of the inductor is partially positioned in the cavity 21. Then, a conductive line is wound around the core 11 to form the coil 12. Finally, the pin-shaped terminals of the coil 12 are connected with the metal parts 30, i.e. by welding. After that, the conventional inductor can serve as a surface mounted inductor.
However, the conventional chassis exhibits the following disadvantages. First, the bottom surface of the conventional surface mounted inductor 70 fails to provide satisfying flatness since the U-shaped metal parts 30 are partially embedded into the chassis 20. Using welding to connect the coil 12 with the metal parts 30 consumes power and may cause danger. The terminals of the coil originally connecting with the metal parts 30 tend to loosen. The chassis 20 is made of plastic and thus fragile if the thickness is not enough. However, during trying to increase the thickness to enhance the strength, the profile of the chassis is inevitably increased. The shape of the conventional surface mounted inductor 70 is symmetrical and the apparatus fails to automatically identify the direction of the magnetic filed during using. Therefore, it is confusing and inconvenient. The conventional surface mounted inductor needs additional identification mark, such as the dots 60.
Accordingly, there has been a strongly felt need for a novel chassis for improving the disadvantages described above.
Consideration of the disadvantages of the conventional chassis described above, the main object of the present invention is to provide an improved chassis can overcome the aforementioned problems.
The present invention discloses a chassis for transforming an inductor into a surface mounted device. The present inductor includes a core and a coil wound around the core and having two pin-shaped terminals. The chassis further includes an insulating element (i.e. plastic), a first conductive element and a second conductive element. The insulating element further includes an upper surface having a cavity and a flat bottom surface.
The first conductive element and the second conductive element substantially are Z-shaped and have a strip of first stem and the second stem, respectively. The insulating element exposes the first stem and the portion of the lower surface of the first conductive element. The remaining portion of the first conductive element is embedded into the insulating element. The insulating element exposes the second stem and the portion of the lower surface of the second conductive element. The remaining portion of the second conductive element is embedded into the insulating element. Besides, the exposed lower surface of the first conductive element, the exposed lower surface of the second conductive element and the bottom surface of the chassis are arranged on the same level. Moreover, one section of the first conductive element extends toward the second stem and further crosses the virtual second cross-sectional line.
According to the present invention, the core is partially positioned on the first cavity of the chassis. In addition, the pin-shaped terminals of the coil are further wound around the stems and so as to form combination. In this manner, the inductor is transformed into a surface mounted inductor by means of the chassis.
Compared to prior art, the present invention at least exhibits the advantages described as follows. The bottom surface of the present surface mounted inductor provides satisfying flatness since the exposed lower surface of the first conductive element, the exposed lower surface of the second conductive element and the bottom surface of the chassis are arranged on the same level. The terminals of the coil are wound around the conductive elements such that the consumed power for welding is not required. The terminals of the coil wound around the notchs of the stems are fixed properly. Since the Z-shaped first and second conductive elements are partially embedded into the insulating element, the rigidness of the insulating element is enhanced. Alternatively, the insulating element can be decreased meanwhile keeping the rigidness. The shape of the present surface mounted inductor is unsymmetrical and the direction of the magnetic filed can be automatically identified during using. That is, the additional identification mark can be omitted.
Further scope of the applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.